And a Hardy in a Pear Tree
by suspect tomatoes
Summary: Christmas Present for Sweet Corruption. Britt's overwhelmed by everyone's presence, so Matt decides to give her one gift for being such a good girl. One-shot. Matt/OC.


**A/N: Merry Edgemas, sweetie!**

Britt put her head down on the kitchen table when she heard the distinct sounds of car doors slamming. She knew the second that door opened everything she'd done in the past four hours would be mercilessly destroyed by wet shoes, whining voices and clumsy hands.

"It's too fuckin' _cold_ outside!"

And it began.

"Oh, what's this!"

"Is this for me?"

"Don't _touch_ that, Jeff, it has my name on it!"

"You fuckin' reject, no one wants you here."

"Why does everyone gang up on me?"

"It's just _so_ easy."

"OH MY GOD!"

"_What_?"

"Britt's dead!"

"No, I'm _not_," she grumbled, lifting her head. She stared at the two brothers blankly, the smaller friend standing between them. "Shan, you look like you lost a couple of inches."

"I _know_. My hips are really defined, aren't they?"

"I meant _height_."

"Oh." Shan looked up at Matt, then Jeff, shrugging. "It's an optical illusion."

"Mindfreak!" Jeff exclaimed, and high-fived Matt with a laugh. "Fuck, I'm hungry. Britt, did you make any food?"

"No. We're getting take-out."

"Big surprise." Jeff sniffed into the pile of presents sitting on the table. "Any of these for me?"

"Go _away_."

He grinned and walked off, down the hallway to the bedroom he was staying in.

Shan leaned against the chair across from Britt, grinning.

She sighed. "_What_ are you smiling about?"

"Are any of those presents _mine_?"

"No, _reject_, they aren't."

He frowned. "How come?"

"Because I don't _like_ you."

"That hurts." Shan smiled when Mack came up beside him and slapped his hip, running after her when she took off down the hall.

Britt stared after them tiredly. It was so exhausting living in the Hardy household. So many people coming in and out, so many different places they had to be. She was alone half the time, so _all_ of them being home at once was a bit overwhelming.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Matt asked quietly.

Britt looked up at him. "How about a shot instead?"

"That's do-able."

She watched him take the bottle of alcohol closest to him – half empty Smirnoff from his Christmas Bash – and pour two shots, handing her one. "Thanks," she mumbled, and knocked it back.

"Aw, we didn't toast."

"We don't need to." Britt sighed and put the glass down carefully, taking the one he had pressed to his lips.

He frowned as he watched her drink it. "Bad day?"

"No offense, but you made it worse." She smiled slightly, rubbing his hand on the table. "Not you personally, just... I don't know."

"You look like you accomplished a lot." He shrugged. "That's somethin'."

"I'm just so _tired_, you know?"

"I can sympathize." He gave her that adorable, crooked grin she loved so much. "Do you want to go to bed? I can order food for everyone while you take a nap, or somethin'."

"No, I'm fine." Britt sighed and stood up, fingertips pressed against the table-top. "What do you want? Italian? Mexican?"

Matt watched her, his mouth curved down just slightly, and she actually had to look away. She hated it when he studied her. "You know what I want?" he asked finally.

When she turned back, he was standing right in front of her, toe to toe. She gulped and looked up into his strong face, watching the way his lidded eyes sizzled. "What?"

He pursed his lips. "I want everyone out of this house. Right now."

Britt frowned, blinking a couple of times when Matt stepped past her, heading down the hallway. "Wait." She looked at his retreating back. "Matt! What are you doing?"

He opened the first door he came to, poking his head in. "Shan. Mack. Fuck at his place, you're not wanted here anymore."

Britt's mouth dropped. "Matt Hardy!"

He smirked at her over his shoulder before he headed down to Jeff's room. He knocked politely, then kicked open the door. "Get out!"

Britt made it to the door just in time to see Jeff jump out of what she presumed was a quick nap, falling onto the floor loudly.

"What?" he asked blearily.

"Go out to dinner with Mack and Shan."

Jeff nodded, disoriented, but got to his feet. "What about you?"

"I'm not hungry."

"Do you want me to bring you guys somethin'?"

"No. Stay out as long as you want."

Jeff raised a brow, but shrugged and went past him, meeting up with two just as equally confused friends of his. "Do you know what's goin' on?" he whispered to them.

Shannon shrugged. "I don't know, but I think we're gettin' rejected. For real."

Mack nodded. "Yeah. Matt just told us to get the fuck out."

"He was a little nicer to me," Jeff said quietly, glancing back at the two standing in the doorway. "What do you think they have up their sleeve?"

"Maybe they just wanna bang."

"Shannon!"

"What? If Jeff wasn't comin' with us, that's what we'd be doin'."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." MacKenzie covered her ears and headed for the door.

"You know it's true!" Shannon grinned at her back, looking at Jeff. "Uh, what do you suppose we do?"

Jeff blinked at him. "Please don't say threesome."

"I wasn't goin' to."

"Thank God."

"But what else is there?"

"Jesus Christ." Jeff scrubbed his hands over his face. "We're going out to eat. Pick a restaurant."

Matt came up from behind and shoved them toward the door with his big hands. "What the fuck is this, a meetin' of Parliament? Figure it out on the way there!"

Shannon grinned at Jeff over his shoulder. "Oh, yeah. They're _totally_ gonna fuck."

"Get out!" Matt slammed the door on the two, rolling his eyes.

And then...

Silence.

Britt felt a welcoming calm settle over the house, just the sounds of Matt breathing and the wind blowing against the windows resonating in the otherwise quiet place. She felt her nerves slowly unwind – god, it felt good to just hear _nothing_.

"So."

She opened her eyes, watching Matt slowly walk over to the table, trailing his fingers across the pile of presents. "Don't touch those," she said playfully.

He grinned. "Are they mine?"

The look on his face was magic enough – that wonderful smile that still made her weak in the knees was denting his cheeks, making his boyish good looks even more pronounced.

"Nope."

Matt pouted. "That's too bad."

"You don't get anything for Christmas."

He actually looked like he was going to cry. "Why?"

"Because you've been _bad_."

Matt's eyes flashed as the smallest smirk lifted the side of his mouth. "Well, is there any way you could take me off the naughty list?"

"I could think of a few things."

"How about I give you a teensy, tiny present?" Matt motioned with his fingers. "Tiny, tiny, _tiny_ gift. Just to show you how much I care."

Britt smiled. "That's a good start."

"Great. Close your eyes."

Britt giggled and did as she was told, bouncing on her toes while he messed around with a few things. She felt his body heat as he got closer to her, standing with his mouth just a shade away from her ear.

"Can I open my eyes now?" she asked excitedly.

Matt's laugh sent a quick burst of hot air against the skin just below her hairline, sending the sharpest shivers down her spine. "Open 'em."

Britt shot her lids up and blinked at Matt. He had set a tiny red bow on top of his hair. It was barely holding on; the slightest movement could send it flying.

"Like it?"

Britt shrugged. "It's not... _horrible_."

"Thought so. Look down."

Britt licked her lips, dropping her eyes.

Oh.

Oh, dear.

She met his gaze again. "I stand corrected."

"Damn right."

Britt sighed and put her arms around his neck. "I just have one question, though."

"Shoot."

"How did you... lose your clothes so fast?"

"It's easy." He scooped her around the waist, lifting her up so she looked down at him. "If you want, I could show you how it's done."

She squealed when he swung her around, pressing her back against the wall.

"But I have to warn you... " Matt trailed his fingers lightly over her collarbone. "I'm pretty damn fast."

"I think I can handle it."

She saw the bow fly off his head the second he kissed her.

He wasn't lying.

**A/N: You said you wanted Matt with just a bow on. :) I hope you liked it! Review everyone.**


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